Portable cast reenforced concrete step



June 16, 1936. H. SCHIELE PORTABLE CAST REENFORCED CONCRETE STEP 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 3 INVENTOR.

June 16, 1936.

H. SCHIELE PORTABLE CAST REENFORCED'CONCRETE STEP Filed A rii 5, 1955 5 Sh eetSPSheet 2 INVENTOR.

UJaMu/YLEJ. UJILUA.

ATTORNEY.

.une 16, 1936. SCHIELE PORTABLE CAST REENFORCED CONCRETE STEP Filed April 3, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED, STATES PORTABLE CAST RE FgFORCED CONCRETE Henry Schiele, Oradell, N. J. Application April 3, 1935, Serial No. 14,391

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in cement slabs and monoliths, with special references to the steps used in stairway construction.

Such steps are commonly used in the construction of buildings, both for private and public purposes, in the approaches to their entrances, underground store rooms, as cellars, and various other purposes above or below the ground surface.

It is well known that wooden steps crack, shrink, and warp, are prone to decay, due to exposure to rain, snow, and other conditions of weather, require frequent painting and eventually renewal at the owners expense.

Steps made of bricks, in the course of time settle, crevices occur, and the mortar becomes loosened affecting the appearance and permanency of the steps.

Cinder and small cement blocks are subject to similar defects requiring resetting or replacement.

Concrete steps, poured in a wooden mould or form, made specially for the occasion are ordinarily faced with a different composition than that of their main body.

Such facing is apt to crumble, rendering the steps unsightly, and if built between side walls, shrink and draw away, leaving disfiguring gaps.

Having these matters in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a solid precast step, in the form of an elongated rectangle, suited to rest on bearing walls or abutments, bridging the space therebetween.

A further feature is in the provision of unitary blocks, of any desired length, made of superior materials, carefully selected and efiectively bonded by metal reenforcements, applied in a novel manner, rendering them substantially unbreakable for their purpose as steps.

Another purpose is in the production of steps cast as units in metal moulds, assuring a desirable smooth surface and positive uniformity in dimensions.

Still another aim is to provide means whereby the steps may be securely anchored to their side supporting walls in a manner to prevent cracks, crevices and gaps at their ends.

These and other valuable features, which will appear as the description progresses, are accomplished by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings constituting a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device showing a single row of unitary steps, including support wall and guard rails.

Figure 2 is a similar View showing wider steps, each composed of a plurality of units resting on bearing walls at their ends.

Figure 3 is another like view showing the steps as disposed between raised side walls to which the steps are bonded.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a step indicated in Figure 1 with overhanging beads 1 at the front and ends.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cross section of a step showing the reenforcing rods and binding wires.

Figure 6 is a broken perspective view showing the manner of connecting the uppermost step to a platform.

Figures 7, 8, and 9 are perspective views of steps having variant shapes.

Figures 10 and 11 are views illustrative of different forms of tie rods.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, Figure l is indicative of a conventional construction of steps, five in number, leading from a level yard or street surface [5 to a platform 5 ordinarily one step below the threshold of the building to which the steps lead.

The first or lowermost step A may rest directly on a suitable solid foundation, while the succeeding steps rest at their ends on brick walls I1 of adequate width, as from twelve to sixteen inches, built upon a foundation.

Each step consists of a solid elongated precast slab, of generally rectangular cross section, presenting at the front a riser l8 and tread l9 having a bead 20 at its front upper edge, which, as shown in Figure 1, may also extend at its ends.

The tread i9 is preferably roughened, as indicated, to prevent an effective non-slip surface, the end and rear margins being smooth.

The length of the steps may vary in dimensions from four to eight inches for the height of the riser, are ordinarily twelve inches for the width to seven feet in length; if longer steps are required two or more of the slabs are preferably used with their ends abutting, as indicated in Figure 2.

Holes 2! may be formed in posts 22 surmounted by guard rails 24 if desired.

When two or more sections are required to complete the full length of the steps, support walls i'la, preferably of the same width as the outer walls I! are desirable to use in order that the steps be adequately sustained.

the steps to receive hand rails 23 and carry Parts Portland cement, by measure 1 Clean, coarse sand 2 Crushed blue stone 4 The blue stone to be free of dust and of a size to pass through a screen of half inch mesh.

These ingredients to be intimately mixed and combined with water to form a free flowing mix? ture.

When approximately two inches of the mass has been poured into the mould which is maintained level, a skeleton frame F, (see Figs. 5 and 6) is entered and the pouring continued.

Y The frame consists of four steel rods 25-45, of any preferred cross section and substantially three eighths of an inch in cross section, twisted, corrugated or otherwise roughened to be firmly seized by the cementitious mixture in a semifluid or highly plastic consistency, the rods being so arranged as to be essentially equally spaced from'the corners of the step to be cast, and of a lesser length, so that their ends are covered by the material.

A single central rod 25 is also cast into the step, constituting one of the elements of the frame.

These several rods are held in their respective positions, during insertion, pouring and embedment, by tie wires 28 arranged at spaced intervalsas seen in Figures 1, 4, and 5.

If the ends of the steps abut a fixed upright wall, the center rod 26 is extended and bent at an angle forming anchors 21 to be inserted in the wall, (see Fig. 3) or the extending ends may be downturned to engage the support Walls on which they rest.

As seen in Figure 6 the top step E may be bonded to the platform l6 by cross rods 30, anchored in the step by angularly turned ends 3| and in a similar manner to the platform.

Longitudinal rods 32, acting as additional reenforcements are bonded by wires 33 tying the several rods together.

Steps H, I and J, other than rectangular profile, as shown in Figures '7, 8 and 9 are provided with internally embedded reenforcing rods 25-26 may be made in a similar manner to present a choice in the selection of appearance, their construction being essentially the same as previously described.

It will be apparent that precast steps made of 'the materials and in the manner specified, if

properly erected, will maintain their integrity indefinitely long, requiring no repairs, replacements or expense after installation.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple device for this purpose has been disclosed in the preferred form of its embodiment, but it is not desired to restrict the details to the exact construction shown, it being obvious that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

As a new article of manufacture, a solid slab constituting a stair step of substantially uniform rectangular cross section throughout its entire length, straight corrugated longitudinal reenforcing rods cast into said slab adjacent its four lengthwise corners, a single straight reenforcing rod passing lengthwise through the approximate center of said slab, said first named rods being completely embedded therewithin and said last named rod extended at both ends and bent at right angles to form anchors to engage end supports for'the slab, and tie wires bonding all of said rods at intervals along their length.

HENRY SCI-HELE. 

